Montana Cake Business

I'll be moving to Montana soon from Florida. Here in Florida, we are allowed to run a small cake business from our home. I cannot find any information on Montana. Will I be able to run a cake business in my home there? Does anyone here in CakeCentral run an at-home cake business? If so, what does it take to get licensed? Please help with any info you might have. Thank you in advance!

I'll be moving to Montana soon from Florida. Here in Florida, we are allowed to run a small cake business from our home. I cannot find any information on Montana. Will I be able to run a cake business in my home there? Does anyone here in CakeCentral run an at-home cake business? If so, what does it take to get licensed? Please help with any info you might have. Thank you in advance!

It looks like no... I am having trouble finding anything in the literature that applies to residential kitchens at all. But don't take my word as law... hopefully someone living in Montana can chime in with more accurate information.

I was looking through the regulations on their site though and it sounds like it is all for commercial establishments.

Some states do license residential kitchens. It doesn't require cottage food laws. NH was one of those states until recently when they switched to a more cottage food type situation. Now so long as you make less than 10K per year you can prepare non-potentially hazardous goods for sale without needing a license at all. I would suggest calling the Montana health department and asking.

Thanks, Lilmissbakesalot,,, seems like you've had the same luck as me. Nothing online seems to help answer the question. I've seen Thecakewitch's website post before, so I knew there was no cottage law yet. Was hoping someone from Montana would chime in on whether there was any movement towards a cottage law, or, like you said, a residential kitchen option.

I hate calling government agencies, as I normally sit on hold for a half an hour and then just get hung up on before I can even say a word because someone disconnected me, but I guess that's going to be the option I have, since it seems no one from Montana will chime in. Florida was a strict commercial kitchen state until our cottage law went into action. It's been great finally getting to bake as a little business (our limit is 15K), which is all I wanted to be. Now it looks like it's all gonna go away again, and that's very depressing. So ends my baking career, I guess.

Unfortunately, the answer is no. In the state of Montana, you are not allowed to operate a bakery business from your residential kitchen. You are able to have a completely separate kitchen within or attached to your home but there are stipulations to this (ie separate entrance, setic, etc.). The best place to find information is through the health department of the county you are moving to - NOT the state. I hope that helps!

Thanks, Pish! I guess I should check with whatever county Bozeman is located in, because it's not worth packing up all my cake-baking equipment/supplies if I can't use them anymore. I appreciate the feedback!